The news was announced by Bui Quang Anh, Head of the Veterinary Agency. He said that in Tien Giang, the disease was found in a flock of 1,500 ducks in Phuoc Lap commune, Tan Phuoc district. These ducks had received the first vaccination on March 1.

In Quang Nam, bird flu attacked poultry in Nui Thanh and Tien Phuoc district, where 428 ducks, which were not vaccinated, died.

According to Bui Quang Anh, bird flu could appear on a small scale in other provinces where poultry is not vaccinated.

As blue ear epidemic is spreading very quickly, the Veterinary Agency on April 8 asked related provinces and cities to address their supervision and control of transport of livestock.

So far, nearly 70,000 pigs in the central region have caught blue ear and a record high number of nearly 54,000 pigs have been culled, strongly affecting the animal husbandry sector of the four provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Nam.

“The total number of ill pigs is approximately 70,000, equivalent to the figure of last July, when the blue ear epidemic boomed. However, the loss this time is three times more than last year because only 20,000 pigs were culled last July while it is 56,000 at present,” said Bui Quang Anh.

Further Reading

- You can visit the Avian Flu page by clicking here.